Deputy Chairperson, hon Minister and members, as I stand here to speak on the topic, I am tormented by the vivid pictures I have seen of the sorry plight of the victims of poverty, hunger and starvation across a wide spectrum of the community of South Africans, and in particular from one of the poorest of South Africa's provinces, namely the Eastern Cape. Towards the end of last year, some of us were engaged in an oversight tour in the rural environs of the province. At a meeting with one of the communities, although on a different topic, a respectable member of the community stood up - two of my colleagues who are here in this Chamber were present - and said the following:
Khanizijonge. Niyazibona nimbejembeje, niyayokozela, ninqukrile yintlutha! Ukuba niyaguquka nijonge kwaba bantu, niyababona ukuba babhalwe indlala netlupheko apha ebusweni babo. Ninento yokuthetha kamnandi xa nilapha phakathi kwethu, kodwa nithi nje ukuba ningene ezi-ofisini zenu nijike nenze enye into. (Translation of Xhosa paragraph follows.)
[Look at yourselves. You see, you are bright and healthy, you have put on weight because you are well-to-do now! If you turn and look at these people, you can see that their lean faces demonstrate poverty, hunger and privation. You tend to speak nicely when you are in our midst, but once you are back in your offices you behave differently.]
We travelled a thousand and more kilometres on that tour from East London and Bisho to the banks of the Umzimkulu River and back, and we were exposed to the lasting vestiges of poverty. At that time the rivers had run dry, grazing land had been scorched, the cattle, sheep and goats had been emaciated, and the dusty mealie lands on which we drove our microbuses and other glamorous vehicles had given in to years and decades of having been without scientific revitalisation and rehabilitation.
With many of our families, the father is back at home due to job losses. After qualifying as university or college graduates, the sons and daughters stay at home because they cannot find jobs. These funds would therefore have been the main source of income for many deprived families.
It is now common knowledge that huge sums of money have not been spent. We cannot hope to redress the imbalances of the past and narrow the gap between the rich and the poor if we fail the poorest of the poor as we have done. We have all failed as managers who should have implemented the antipoverty project, and as the people whom the voters have charged with the oversight responsibilities as members of portfolio, select and standing committees all over the country.
I can only hope that, as the budgetary process on the finances for the ensuing years takes off, we shall discharge our mandates to alleviate poverty, rather than to make political gains out of the suffering of destitute people. The relevant parliamentary committees must now adopt a vigilant programme to ensure that the funds are utilised accordingly, that the department acts on the proper performance management and appraisal information, and that the department is capacitated in terms of personnel skills and the material resources needed at all levels to deliver, monitor and evaluate a more socially accountable Public Service to affirm the poor out of their deprivations, or else heads must roll. [Applause.]